circadian rhythms mindmap

?
View mindmap
  • Circadian Rhythms
    • Biological Rhythms
      • Governed by:
        • Exogenous Zeitgebers
          • External Changes to environment
        • Endogenous Pacemakers
          • The body's internal 'clock
      • Ultradian Rhythms
        • Takes less than 24 hours
          • Sleep stages
      • Infradian Rhythms
        • Take longer than 24 hours
          • Menstrual cycle
      • Circadian Rhythms
        • Takes only 24 hours
          • Sleep-wake cycle
    • Found in the Supra -Chiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
      • Nerve findings connected to eye cross optic chaism
        • SCN lies just above OC
    • Light
      • Primary input to this system  - sets body clock to correct time
        • Photo entrainment
    • Free-running
      • Internal circadian clock
        • maintains of 24-25 hours
          • even in absence of external cues
    • Key studies
      • Michele Siffre
        • 6 months - texan caves &  2 months in alps cave
          • deprived himself of natural light & sound with access to adequate food and drink
            • Resurfaced in mid-sept after 2 months and believed it was mid-august
              • His 'free - running' biological rhythm settled down to one that was just beyond the usual 24 hrs (25 hrs) - though he did continue to fall asleep & wake up on a regular cycle
      • Aschoff & Wever
        • 4 weeks in a ww2 bunker
          • deprived of natural light for 4 weeks
            • All but 1 participant displayed circadian rhythms between 24 and 25 hours
              • Natural sleep / wake cycles may be slightly stronger than 24 hrs but is entrained by exogenous zeitgebers associated with our 24 hr day
      • Folkard et al
        • 3 weeks in a cave
          • 12 people, bed at 11:45 pm, wake at 7:45 am, gradually sped up their clock so a 24 hr day was actually only 22 hrs
            • Only 1 participant was able to comfortably adjust to new regime
              • Suggests the true existence of a strong free-running circadian rhythm that can be easily overridden by exogenous zeitgebers

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Biopsychology resources »